External contracting band brake



Aug. 5, 1947. A. J. MUssELMAN EXTERNAL CONTRACTING BAND BRAKE Filed July 4, 1945 Patented Aug. 5, 1947 4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in ,-brakes. In one of its aspects the invention has todo with improvements in brakes of the charg .meter in which the coacting brake surfaces are l.;,twojrelatively hard materials such as steel and metal coated with hard chromium or other ma- :One of the objects of the invention is the pro- ,sien of a brake of the steel against hard chrotype, one of the elements of which is a flexible band.

y-Another object is the provision of a brake embodying an external contracting band upon which is superimposed a inned cooling band in y. ,order to dissipate as rapidly as possible the heat generated in the braking action.

A further object is the provision of means carried by the rotating wheel for inducing air i'iow overly;v the brake band and its fins for cooling poses of the present application, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is an elevational view, largely in vertical section, of an airplane wheel equipped with a brake embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on .the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a fragmental sectional view on a larger scale, the view being taken substantially onthe1ine3-3ofFi8. 1.

In Fig. l of the drawing I have shown an airplane strut which may comprise relatively slidable members I and Il whose movements with respect to each other are preferably cushioned by conventional means, not shown. Member il carries a wheel `spindle i2 having a flange i3.

IIlfwo antifriction bearings i4 and I5 surround spindle I2 and rotatably support a wheel i6. The inner race of bearing Il may be spaced from flange I3 by a collar i1, and the inner race of bearing l5 contacts an adjustable nut i8 rotatably mounted on the end of the spindle. 'I'he outer races of these two bearings ilt into annular recesses formed in the wheel.

The side of wheel i8 facing toward the strut carries a brake drum 2i of more or less conven- UNITED STATES PATENT GFFlC-E EXTERNAL con'rnaornza BAND anexa invia J. Musulman, Hudson, om

pacman July 4, 194s, serial No. scares tional form-and smoothly surfaced on its periphery. This exterior surface is coated with a very hard metallic or mineral material, preferably chromium. Assuming that chromium is used, 5 the coating, indicated at 22 in Fig. 3, is preferably eiected by an electroplating operation. It should be firmly bonded to the metal of drum 2| and should be thick enough to present an uninterrupted surface regardlessv of any slight inaccuracies in the surface of the drum itself. As specified in my prior patent No. 2,167,551, dated July 25, 1939, the thickness of the coating should be of the order of .001 of an inch, which I term a hard chromium coating, as distinguished from a coating of the order of .0001 of an inch which has little effect other than to prevent corrosion.

If thechromium is applied to the drum, in accordance with the present invention, the braking action is smooth, soft and quiet. In conventional brakes the vibration and squealing which are frequently evident in brake action are due to alternate gripping and releasing in rapid recurrence. This vibration and squealing are not y perceptible in the operation of my brake. I do not know with certainty to what this beneficial result should be attributed, but I believe itis due to the fact that the smoothness of the braking surface. particularly after the brake has been y operated for a time, results in the alternate gripping and releasing of the brake occurring in such rapid sequence that the vibration is imperceptible and that the sound is of such high frequency as to be out of the range of human bearing. The operation of the brake may be aptly described as velvety.

In connection with the drum 2l and its coating 22 I employ an external contracting brake band 2l of flexible sheet steel, preferably hardened. It may be contracted by any suitable means, that shown herein by way of illustration comprising a lever 28 ilxed upon a rock shaft 29 which is oscillatable in a bearing 30 carried by a cover plate 3l that is secured to the flange I3 of wheel spindle i2. The outer end of shaft 29 has fixed thereto a crank 32 which may be moved toward or away from brake setting position by any suitable means, such as a hydraulic cylinder 33 containing a piston, not shown, on the end of a connecting rod 34.

The brake of this invention is capable of taking very heavy loads, as comparedwith conventional brakes heretofore employed. Consequently a great amount of heat is generated in the braking 55 action. While the brake will stand up under such sans l t 3 temperatureaitisdesirablstodilsivateth heatasrapidly aspossibls,andtothatendlsur 29 snugly, making good contact over a relatively great area, so that heat may be transmitted eilendsand wires 21 maybe strung throughthese perforations, the ends ot the wires being attached totension springs Il. as indicated in Fig. 2 o! the drawing.

The annular nange 29 enclosing a space within which are accommodated the drum Il, the cover Il and the bands 23-24. has a series of inwardly projecting ribs Il. When the wheel runs upon the ground these rapidly moving ribs act as air vanes to induce iiow of air through screened openth'ebrake'band Il withailexiblesheetv ings 9B in cover plate 3|, then radially outwardly over contacting elements 2l and fins 29 of the flexible cooling band, and then laterally outward beyond the periphery of cover plate Il.

-Brakes which are subjected to unusually heavy loads, those for large airplanes especially, encounter extremely high temperatunes and are subject to rapid deterioration on that accdunt.

The brake o! the present invention ig able tol tuted for chromium in the present invention, but

their use at the present time'is not practical.

l said wheel having a nanas overhanging said band and said uns, and ini wardly extending ribs on said liange for inducing air i'iow over said band and nns.

v ALVIN J. MUBWMAN. amaacas crran The following referencesare of record in the nie of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,818,100 Shields Aug. 11, 1931 2,167,551 Musselman July 35, 1939 2,248,684 Levy July 8. 1941 

